Wooden stave culvert



Nov. 8, 1932. N; MacPHERSON WOODEN STAVE CULVERT Filed July 31, 1951 INVENTOR HAROLD NOLAN MAcPHERsoN ,Z/ W

ORNEYS Patented Nov. 8, 1932 were? HAROLD-NOLAN 'nnornnnson; or VANCOUVER, n'nrrrsrr COLUMBIA, cnnhnn i WOODEN STAVE GULVERI' Application filed July 31, 1931. Serial No. 554,336. I

My invention relates to improvements in wood staveculverts. j The objects of the invention are to provide means for internally supporting the staves to prevent distortion of the culvert due to pressure from above and from insufficient side support; to provlde means whereby two or more lengths of culvert may be connected together so that the end of one culvert length will be augmented by that of the abutting end of another, and to provide a simple method of fastening abut ting ends of culverts. A still further object is to provide a stave which is capable of use in the manufacture of two or more diameters of culvert, wherein a sound watertight joint is provided between adjoining staves.

The invention consists essentially of a plurality of wood staves bound in circular form aboutinternal supporting elements disposed at opposite ends of the staves, and, in the case of long culverts, intermediate the length of said staves, as will be more fully described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a culvert shown part in section.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one end of the culvert.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the fastening between culvert ends.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the wood stave.

In the drawing like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

The numeral 1 indicates generally a plurality of wood staves which are formed with parallel inner and outer surfaces 2 and 3 respectively and side edges 4;, one side edge is provided intermediate its width with a substantially semi-circular tongue 5 and the opposite edge is provided with a groove 6 formed to the same radius. One of the side edges is preferably formed in a single plane 4 and the other is formed in two separate planes, as at 7 and 8, which are disposed at an angle to each other, so that when con structing a culvert of a predetermined large diameter the upper plane 7 of one edge is brought into parallel contact with the corresponding portion of the side edge of an adjoining stave, as shown in Figure 3. Alternately when constructing a culvert of a predetermined smaller diameter the lower plane 8 is brought into parallel contact with the correspondingportion of the side edge of an adjoining stave, as shown in Figure 4:, hence an intimate contact is formed between adjoining staves which renders the structure watertight and capable of withstanding external pressure to an equal degree whichever, diameter of culvert is constructed. The ends of each staveare transversely splayed on their inner faces'as at 9 and a transverse groove 1O is provided adjacent thereto, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. Y I v Where culverts are to be formed in relas tively long sections or where the culverts are required to withstand heavy pressure from above, the staves will be grooved transversely 7 intermediate their length, as 11, see Figure 1, and the culvertv will be built around an internal band 12 having an external rib l3 V which projects intothe groove 11. The bands 12 may be endless or made with abutting ends 7 as at 14 which latter construction would facilitate nesting for transportation and also permit bands to beinserted if required into existing culverts. i

At each end of the culvert a connecting 8O collar 15 is provided, which collar consists V of an annular structure having an inner portion 16 outwardly flanged on its inner side as at 17 to engage the groove 10 of the staves, and having a flared portion 18 which in turn terminates in an end flange 19. flange 19 is preferably of such a diameter as to extend beyond the outer face 3 of the staves 1, and is cut and turned at predetermined intervals of its periphery to forma The end plurality of outwardly projecting lugs 20 and spaces 21 whichcoact with similar lugs and spaces ofadjoining collars to connect adjoining lengths of culvert together, the connection being effected by passing the lug of one collar through the corresponding space :of another and turning the lug back against the rear face of the flange 19 of the abutting collar 15 as shown in detail in Figure 3. The spaces 21, beingconsiderably larger than 4 come into contact and in the thickness of the lugs which pass through them enable a connection to be made with out difficulty. The staves 1 are held in intimate contact with the bands 12 and the collars 15 by metallic straps 22 or any other suitable binding elements.

The marginal plane portions of the staves serve a very useful purpose in situations where excessive top loading of the culvert causes the culvert to become deformed. In the above cases the vertical dimension of the culvert is reduced and the transverse dimension is increased, producing a section which is substantially elliptical with its major axis horizontal, the curvature of the sides of the culvert develops a lesser radius than that of the culvert at the time of erection and consequently the inner marginal portions 8 and so doing the bands 12 are again brought into tension and prevent any further deformation of the culvert.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a culvert, a pair of flanged collars adapted to form supporting members fora plurality of longitudinally disposed staves, saidflanges being of a greater diameter than the external diameter of the culvert, and having lugs and spaces intermediate their periphery whereby the lugs of one flange'on one length of culvert are capable of projecting through the spaces of an adjoining flange of another length of culvert and being turned back upon themselves to form a means of fastening one culvert length to another.

2. A culvert comprising a substantially cylindrical body formed of longitudinally disposed staves bound exteriorly and an internal supporting band intermediate the ends of the staves, said band consisting of a strip of material having an impressed peripheral rib adapted to be'embedded'into a complementary groove formed around the inner periphery of the culvert.

3. In a circular culvert, a plurality of adjoining wood staves having a substantially semi-circular tongue at one side edge and. a corresponding groove on the other, said staves having a plane marginal portion on 3 the inner and outer side of the tongue and groove, the plane of one of the marginal portions at the inner side of the tongue or groove being at an angle to that of the marginal portion at the outer side of the tongue or strip whereby the staves can be laid to two different radii and to provide a full surface flange provided with lugs, said lugs being adapted to be bent into engagement with the flange of an adjoining culvert to secure said culverts together.

5. In a culvert, an end collar having .a flange, a plurality of lugs formed from the material of the flange adapted to be bent outwardly therefrom and define spaces in said flange corresponding in form to that of the lugs, the lugs of one flange beinrr adapted to pass through the spaces of the ange of an adjoining culvert and to be bent back against the rear face of the second flange to secure said culverts together.

Dated at Vancouver, of July, 1931.

v HAROLD -NOLAN MACPHERSON;

B.-C., this 10th day contact between eitherthe inner or the outer marginal portions of adjoining staves, whereby deformation of the culvert due to superposed load will tend to bring the outer marginal portions of adjoining staves into compression at the top and bottom of the culvert and to bring the lnner marginal portions into compression at the sides of the culvert.

4. In a culvert, an end collar having a i 

